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Show Thursday, January 12, 1989 Chronicle - Page Four - v Justin Toth Racial discrimination curable at personal level Racism, both as a concept and as a real social phenomenon, has bothered thoughtful Americans for years (unfortunately, an equal number have been comfortable turning a deaf ear to the issue.) On Jan 16, Americans (inclucung Arizona, much to the chagrin of Meacham) will celebrate the martyred Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday. As usual, countless newspaper articles and television programs will acknowledge the gains made in civil liberties since the passage of the Civil Rights Act in 1964. Typically, we will be reminded that we still need to do more to ensure racial equality and justice in the United States. To most of my generation, the race riots and struggles of Dr. King and his followers are but a textbook memory. We do not share the personal commitment and memories of the struggle to make America unseparate and equal. In fact, when queried regarding our feelings about racism, our responses usually fall in the "Me? I'm no racist; I know lots of black people," category. The feeling of personal responsibility has, for all intents and purposes, vanished, hi some sense, this is of us were born too late to be not our fault-m- ost included. Nonetheless, that fact need not preclude our personal commitment to the cause of racial equality. Thoughtful conservatives feel particularly ill at ease in discussions of racism. We have an uneasy feeling that we have somehow contributed to, or at least failed to combat, discrimination. We owe that embarrassment to the white, conservative fundamentalist South which employed every conceivable method to preserve that region's unjust political and social traditions during the civil rights struggles in the 1960s. The image of the "good ol' boys headin' out for a lynchin" is imbued with reactionism. Moreover, in connotations of right-win-g some areas, the same behavior persists. Conversely, liberals, or "Democrats" if you so prefer, have always considered the "racial issue" to be a uniquely liberal domain. Curiously, some of the worst bigots I have or are "bad" white people and "bad" black people: We are only human. However, we are individuals and deserve to be treated and judged as such. Undoubtedly, there1 are lazy black people, but I would hazard a concomitant number of lazy white people exist I'm equally sure a proportional number of industrious, hard working black people exist with the same number of similar white people. As usual, I'm belaboring my point which, by the be judged on their way, is that human beings should nominal cate gorizations. then individual merits rather My intention in writing this column is to point out that racism is a personal issue with social unifications. Racism is not something which has passed. Segregated busses and restaurants were only the outward signs of an internal malaise. Though the country rallied against de facto discrimination in its legal institutions, the current dejure, attitudinal racism can cause an equal amount of damage. This form of the disease, at a social level, is much more difficult to cure; assuming, of course, it is possible to diagnose this particularly sublime form of malignancy at all. For that reason, I believe racism has become a personal issue. As a personal affliction, racism is quite curable. In this respect, we can recharge the cause of civil rights with a personal, moral efficacy in realizing change must occur within ourselves. When we purge ourselves of the racial lies and biases passed down from various aspects of our upbringing, we will be moving closer to a "raceless" society. Similarly, we can demonstrate an unbending intolerance for groups such as the Aryan Nations and others which espouse doctrines of racial supremacy and hatred. Martin Luther King Jr.'s dream can, indeed it must, continue to five in the hearts of Americans. Should we allow it to fade, we will sacrifice the future to a continuance of hatred and intolerance. Justin Toth, a senior majoring in political science and philosophy, is the editorial editor of the Chronicle. - known proudly called themselves Democrats. In fact, . an observer of political and social behavior in America would be likely to notice that political affiliation has little to do with racial attitudes. Indeed, the human tendency to discriminate against foreign elements within its own environment seems almost universal, regardless of political ideology. Within the borders of the Soviet Union, Armenian and Georgian peoples (distinguishably of darker complexion than white Russian and Middle Europeans) find themselves often excluded from the Marxistteninist vision of a classless society. Unfortunately for communist ideologies, racial hatred and insecurity can easily overpower any sense of class consciousness at all. Our progressive West European collegues fair little better. In West Germany, racist factions within that country spread literature to play upon the fears of the unemployed to incite hatred against Turkish immigrants. In mainland China, Chinese students have violently attacked and beaten African students without any more provocation than cultural dating differences. My point is, quite simply, no racial, political or religious group is immune from practicing discrimination in one form or another. Why? Because racism, which is a categorical (thus irrational) hatred spawned from insecurity or envy, is a personal phenomenon. White people are not born hating black people. Black people are not born hating white people. Human beings must be taught to hate and mistrust each other. Someone must tell black people that white people made black people slaves, or that white people don't want black people to have all the things white people have. Conversely, white people must be told that black people are "lazy" or "stupid" to instill the kind of hatred some whites harbor. Racial rumors and lies breed hatred, not the normal interaction of human beings. When we realize that we are all human beings capable of great beneficence or cruelty, only then will racism disappear. We all know that there . THE LONGER YOU WAITV THE LONGER YOU'LL WAIT! ! .Bible. not actually word of .'Mr. ... God-- - Editor: All right. Now I've had it. Time to stop being polite with these Christians, who all seem to think be their duty to put everyone in it to God (as if there is their there end is to no these one), people? Our latest example came to us in the Jan. 4 issue of the Chronicle under the title "We must answer to God for sins, not man." I hope the writer, Mr. James O. Smith, is including himself in the "not man" portion of that notion regarding whom "we" must answer to, and I wish he'd realize we must certainly answer to ourselves when we choose to take on such an elitist attitude-meani- ng any pious dogma as to separate ourselves from the "sinning masses." This type of behavior is what is really committed by choice-n- ot homosexuality. self-righteo-us REG STRATI O I V4 v place-constan- so-call- ed tly. . Again, one of the most frightening aspects of Mr. Smith's letter is considering what his field of study history! I mean, he actually seems serious in equating Sodom and Gomorrah with "God carrying out the sentence himis-an- self through cient AIDS"! Can you believe that? Now there is some great damn history for ya! Let's just hope he doesn't plan a career in secular academics. He goes on to say- -I must admit that here I personally agree with him, but there is absolutely no empirical evidence-that all abortion is murder; this is to be taken simply on faith and therefore cannot be morally or socially enforced. That capital punishment is murder is also to be taken on faith-f- or those of us with morals and I would think especially for those who believe Mr. God is going Complete your Winter Quarter add drop changes, etc. before the January 13th deadline. Avoid a long line January 13th is the deadline to register for Winter Quarter (no new registration can be initiated after this date) Last Day to adddrop classes, Jast day to exercise crnc option, last day to drop with 100 refund. to be doing the - punishing-b- ut here law can be enforced. One does not have to believe in Mr. God to have morals or have a notion of what is right or wrong. Finally, let's get around to this notion Mr. Smith throws out: "The words are God's words, not mine, from the Bible. . . social-mor- al doesn't take a Biblical scholar to understand the history of the Bible, albeit in slightly less than utter detail. Quoting the books of Matthew, John, Romans, etc. will not get you even close ." It to quoting Jesus of Nazareth since it is literally all hearsay, written by men after the death of Christ. Never mind gaming any absolute "true meaning" after so many ridiculous translations, so far from the meaning in Greek. Quoting from the Old Covenant is even more ludicrous, unless one is a very advanced student of Jewish mythology. The mythology has very specific meaning and is not open to the random folly of misinterpretation, manipulated to suit any sect of religion in its efforts to scare its "subjects" into absolute submission! One certainly cannot blame the Jews for being very resentful of this sort of theft. I suggest that if one wants to become more acquainted with the mean. '. ings of the mythology in the Old Covenant, there are good scholars around. There is great wisdom locked up in mythology, but it will do you no good if you choose to ignore its history. Remember, Christ was not a Christian. Wouldn't you be interested in reading things closer to the way he read them? In the final analysis, as Mr. Smith puts it, he realized he can't force anyone to accept Christ, as much as he would like to. Well, to all of you Mr. Smith-typ- e believers out there, I suggest this is the, most thought. As for the notion of "God's" word, this is the most preposterous notion of all; as if Mr. God himself had a literal hand in the writing. It was written with the hands of man. As for all of us who are "going to hell": being an atheist, I suppose 111 te going there directly, you're right. But considering all of the sinners, I'll probably enjoy it more than being where all of yofu "good" people are. Sorry, I don't like your company. And at least vou don't need to worry about my conduct on earth. Also, if you do end up being partly right-th- at there is a God-I'- m hoping and betting that it is a she. So there! ke ; . Don Smoot |
